Turkey to purge 3,000 more people over failed coup

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan has warned that supporters of terrorist groups in Syria could use the ceasefire agreement to re-arm the militants. Dehghan described the ceasefire in Syria as an ideal condition and said a global effort is required to secure the deal.
   
• Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag says that the Health Ministry may dismiss more than 3,000 of its employees over supporting the mid-July attempted military coup. The staff are accused of having ties or being sympathizers of US-based opposition figure Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for masterminding the coup.
   
• The Syrian Army says its forces have shot down an Israeli warplane in southwest of the town of Quneitra in the early hours of Tuesday after it pounded military’s positions in the area. An Israeli reconnaissance drone was targeted later in west of the town of Sa’asa. Tel Aviv denies the report.
   
• Protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir have turned violent, leaving two protesters dead and scores more injured. Indian police fired tear gas and shotgun pellets to disperse protesters who were out to defy a curfew imposed on the whole region during Eid al-Adha. The ceremony marks the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
   
• Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has called for the withdrawal of US Special Forces from islands in the southern Philippines. He said US military presence could complicate offensives against militants. Washington, however, says it has not received any formal request from Manila for the withdrawal of its troops.
   
• Brazil’s lower house of Congress has overwhelmingly voted to expel former speaker Eduardo Konya, who led the drive to impeach former president Dilma Rousseff. Konya was charged with taking 5 million dollars in bribes on a drill contract for state-run oil giant Petrobras and for having secret bank accounts in Switzerland.
   
• Colombia’s FARC rebels have apologized for the grave pain they’ve caused by kidnapping thousands of people during half a century of conflict. FARC’s commander and lead negotiator Ivan Marquez pledged not to repeat such mistakes. The rebel group prepares to formally sign a peace accord with the government later this month.
   
• The Italian coastguard, in a joint operation with the ministry of transportation, has rescued some 350 refugees on board three vessels off the Libyan coast. Last week alone, the Italian coast guard rescued more than 3,400 asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean.

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